I came across this on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and it really made me chuckle, there are many things on list that are so true for me, especially number 17. This has happened to me on my route march home after work. It is absolutely necessary to keep up the pace after overtaking to avoid looking like a ninny as the person goes sailing past!

What it’s like to be British!!!

Worrying you’ve accidentally packed 3 kilos of cocaine and a dead goat as you stroll through “Nothing to declare”

Being unable to stand and leave without first saying “right”

Not hearing someone for the third time, so just laughing and hoping for the best

Indicating that you want the last roast potato by trying to force everyone else to take it

“I’m off to bed” – Translation: “I’m off to stare at my phone in another part of the house”

Mishearing somebody’s name on the second time of asking, meaning you must now avoid them forever

Leaving it too late to correct someone, meaning you must live with your new name forever

31 .Running out of ways to say thanks when a succession of doors are held for you, having already deployed ‘cheers’, ‘ta’ and ‘nice one’.

Staring at your phone in silent horror until the unknown number stops ringing

Hearing a recording of your own voice and deciding it’s perhaps best never to speak again

The relief when someone doesn’t answer their phone within three rings and you can hang up

Filming an entire fireworks display on your phone, knowing full well you’ll never, ever watch it again

But in my opinion the true test of British-ness is the humble and seemingly innocuous queue. It is a known fact that some Brits will join a queue even if they don’t know what the queue is for. But the queuing phenomenon is most evident at a bus stop. As I catch the bus to work due to lack of parking at the hospital, I believe I have become an expert observer of the bus queue.

I have discovered there are 2 types of bus queues; firstly there’s the stand one behind another type, where it is imperative to obey the rules of standing in line, to avoid the stares, the loud whispering and the wrath of your fellow passengers suspicious of your plans to jump the queue when the bus comes.

The second type can only be attempted with a group of people who catch the same bus, at the same time everyday, and have bonded over time by suffering from a crap bus service and phone apps that clearly lie when it says the bus is 5 minutes away. All the passengers have their designated place to stand and wait, (not in line). The only exception to this rule is during torrential rain and then everyone crams into the bus shelter. It doesn’t matter what time each person turns up, the group collectively know what order the passengers need to be in to advance and get on the bus.

In my bid to not become a creature of habit I don’t always catch the same bus, so I have 3 groups to negotiate in this way and luckily for me I have been accepted into each of them!